This is a wonderful book! As a young immigrant child some 30 years ago this was one of the first books I ever read and thoroughly digested. Simple and touching, this should be a required book in every child's repertoire. The sooner the better!

I read this over 100 times to my daughter when she was little. I also read it that many times when I was a child. I love this book and any books by Margaret Wise Brown. Also read the Whispering Rabbit and loved it.

I loved this book as a child and was delighted to see that it's still around. Leonard Weisgard's rich illustrations are wonderful, and I'm still charmed by the story of the bunny and the egg. It's great to be introducing this book to a new generation of nieces and nephews!

When it comes to sports, the letters that come to most people's mind are ESPN. Those letters have stood for sports for the last two decades. And the Sports Almanac delivers, every year.

This book is for everyone from the casual sports fan to the stats geek. It covers all sports. (At least every one I could think of!) For the amount of content and the price, you can't beat it!

The ESPN Sports Almanac is the most complete source of sports information on the planet. It has everything in it from baseball to badminton to the history of the soap box derby. There are other sports almanacs out there, but none comes close to measuring up. This book should be on the desk of every sports fan.

In my sports journalism career, I find it necessary to refer to this book often. I buy the new almanac every year - it never disappoints. Whether a reporter like me, or just a regular fan, its a good book to have.

I wanted to learn how to make crochet lace and tried working through a dozen or so different crochet books before coming across this one. The other books helped me master the simplest stitches, but I wasn't able to follow the descriptions to achieve my desire of making crochet lace. I'm pretty persistant, but I had been close to giving up and trying something else when I found this book.

The Harmony Guides V6 and V7 start from the most basic stitch and working up, including stitches for all over patterns, and lace. Between the verbal descriptions, photographs, drawings, and diagrams I think everyone should find a descriptive mode that suits their way of thinking and learning.

I'm not very interested in the all over patterns but it has plenty of crochet lace to keep me excited about what I will be able to do as I work my way through.

Wow! This is the best crochet book I have ever bought, and I have a lot of them. I design my own patterns for baby blankets and this book is a treasure trove of ideas for patterns. I've had the book just a few days and have made samples of many of the different stitches to see how they work. There are step-by-step instructions for each and a very clear, easy to read diagram. I found stitches and stitch combinations I have not seen anywhere else. Any of you who design your own patterns, or want to try, this book is a must. If you're not into designing and just want a nice textured overall stitch for an afghan or for afghan squares, it's in here. There is also a very nice section on motifs - sqaure, round, triangle, pentagram, hexagon, star, floral.
I can put away all my other crochet books now. This one will go everywhere with me. Fellow crocheters -- do yourselves a favor and get this book.

I've had both of the Harmony Guide books for over a year now and hopefully I will get lots of crochet time so that one day I can put them to good use. Although these books are impressive for what they promise I must caution you that I do not beleive that they replace all other crochet books or that they are a must have if you crochet. I also do not beleive that they are a good beginner's book because I don't see a beginner turning any of the stitches into a project unless they intend to make a lot of dishcloths. I know you're probably thinking why not an afghan, but for a beginner that would require too much planning and guage fiddling to make each of the sampler squares the same size and if they're going to use the same pattern stitch for an entire afghan then why would they need to know 300 pattern stitches and 220 more?

If you are avid on designing your own projects or are often looking for ways to modify projects however, then you will find these books to be a fabulous reference. The pictures are great, the instructions are clearly written and on top of each pattern stitch there is a guide specifying what the pattern stitch multiple is. You will find pattern stitches for texture, mixing color, for filet designs, motifs, edgings etc. These books really are impressive for the purpose they were written for. They are rich in inspiration and technique and you will most definately enjoy leafing through them and drooling over the pattern stitch pics.

If however, you are simply looking for ideas to add texture or creatively mix color and don't want to invest in a book that will show you tons of stitches, most of which you feel you will never get around to using, then invest in a pattern book with projects instead. For color combinations I highly recommend Lily Chin's Mosaic Magic : Afghans Made Easy as it opens your eyes to the numerous possibilities of mixing colors (more than the Harmony guide books) and the bonus is that her technique shows you how to do so without all the fuss of changing colors within the same row. For texture you could reference many online sources or opt for Afghan sampler books such as those published by Leisure Arts, my favorite of which is "63 more Easy-To-Crochet Pattern Stitches combine to make an Heirloom Afghan". Both books also reference the multiple factor for the pattern stitches making the guesswork easier on you when adapting the pattern stitches to your intended pattern or design.

I HIGHLY reccomend this book to kids that are interested in stock trading. I have tried to read all kinds of stock books, and this one is the only one that I could understand past the first 30 pages! This book isn't a dumb kiddy book either. It goes into GREAT detail about options, margin trading, and investment strategies. The moment I turn 18 I am on my way to the market! (and you should too)

This well written book gives the beginner investor the information needed to understand investing in stocks.

The book goes through setting your goals, assesing your risks and rewards. It teaches you about common and preferred stocks and the basics of buying and selling stocks.

There is a chapter on different investment strategies and then the book takes you into fundamental and technical analysis of a stock.

Finally the book touches on mutual funds, rights, warrants, and options.

All in all this is an excellent book and is one that any beginner investor will learn a lot from.

I had no idea that there where more than one stock exchanges before reading the book. Now I know how to hedge investments using options. The book covers every aspect of the stock market that the novice should know about. I read the book in 2 days because it was written in a format that I could comprehend. I can now amaze my friends with my knowledge of stocks.

Stephen Herrero's "Bear Attacks : Their Causes and Avoidance" is a good, serious, informative, bear attack read. The presentation is more scientific than literary and the book could have been written in a more captivating style, however. It's hard to imagine a book dedicated to true to life bear attacks that wouldn't keep outdoorsmen up at night, flipping page after page, but this is that book. If you'd like to combine true bear attack stories with a more masterful literary style, try Scott McMillion's "Mark of the Grizzly".

Those who go on to read more by Herrero about bear attacks (legal documents, etc.) will find that he ultimately admits that this is far from an exact science too. In his testimony as expert witness in the Mt. Lemon (Arizona) attack, Herrero contradicts some of the most fundamental premises found in this book.

Read this book, by all means, but before entering bear country, keep in mind that sometimes bears will do the unexpected. After all, what's the difference between black bear poop and grizzly bear poop? Griz poop has bells in it and smells like pepper.

As a novice who hopes to backpack through bear country someday, I found this book to be a good introduction to bears and their habits. The author writes with reverence and respect about these magnificent animals, but he includes common-sense information which could very well be a lifesaver someday. The photos were helpful as well, and the book proved to be a quick read, interesting and useful.

This is a great book. I love to hike in bear country and feel much more prepared now that I have read it. Herrero presents his data in both a scientific and honest way careful not to overstate what we do or don't know about bears. He is clearly the world's authority on bear behavior as he has been on site after nearly every bear attack in north america in the past 30 years. He describes in detail (often gorry but necessarily so) what happened in each account and provides a critique of what the injured did or did not do correctly in the given situation. Clearly anyone who reads this book will be better prepared to enter bear country with both respect for bears and how to avoid confrontation. I highly recommend this book.

Larry Brown's best novel in my opinion. If you have never read Brown you should give him a try. It is serious fiction. One clarification of another review: neither Joe nor any of Brown's other novels are set in the Delta. They are set in North Central Mississippi east of the delta.

so, here i am again, drunk, trying to tell you why i think "joe" is a wonderful novel and worthy of your attention. i'm not going to mention the beautiful pain of the writing, or the story, which will melt you at twenty paces, or the fact that you are abundantly aware, from the first word, that Brown cares so much about his characters that I feel like he'd die before he'd sell them out. no. you won't get that review here. what you'll get, instead, is an honest plea to read a miraculous novel of blood and redemption, told by a modern Southern master- i'll go with the "accessible Faulkner" tag- that shows you how life is. lacking pretension, lacking garnish; Larry Brown lays the line out like it should be laid out- wholesome, without hamhanded proselytizing. which is magic. his gifts, nurtured in an Oxford, MI fire station, shoot honesty and magic through you like embers from a fire that you didn't set yet have to deal with- i.e., life.

joe is a mess, and his arrangement is a mess, and yet brown pulls it off. with time to spare.

magic. sheer magic.

If you are not familiar with Brown's novels, then I offer you my condolences. You are deprived. Joe is, in my opinion, the best of Brown's disturbing and wonderful novels. There are no heroes in his books. There is also little in the way of hope and compassion. Brown tells a wicked story, rich with realism and imagery, like no one in the last half of the 20th century. As a writer, after reading Joe, I realized I had finally found a book that I could never realistically hope to rival. Joe, the book not the man, is flawless. I've heard Brown compared to Faulkner, but Brown has a readability that I never found with Faulkner. Do yourself a favor, get this book & get his debut novel, Dirty Work. There is every chance in the world that you will then become a Larry Brown fan for life. This novel is desolate and grim, but something about his writing endears you to it anyway. With most of the great writers long dead, it's refreshing to know that at least one master of the craft is not only still with us, but in the prime of his life. Joe will leave you aching and disillusioned. It will also leave you bleeding for more, more, more. Larry Brown develops his characters and plots better than anyone going.

This is the most thorough book you will read on Brown v. Board of Education. Kluger makes an attentive reader of his work a modest authority on the subject. You had better be very interested in the topic, however, as he leaves no stone unturned. Kluger writes not as a lawyer or historian but as a journalist who is witness to the multitude of events which he depicts.

Besides the numerous civil rights leaders and soldiers the reader encounters, the author provides an intimate account of Supreme Court justices and the process of decision-making. This proves to be the most compelling aspect of the book.

It's required reading for every social revolutionary.

A quarter of a century after it was first published, "Simple Justice" still has the power to move, enrage and touch the hearts of anyone who believes that justice ultimately prevails.

It should be required reading in any college U.S. history course because it shines an intense spotlight on the complex development of legal issues and thinking that produced the end of segregation in the United States.

I do not exaggerate when I say I believe that this is the best history book I've ever read. Further, it's wise to read it now, because an awful lot of the people instrumental in the ultimate decision, Brown vs. the Board of Education, are dying out. The late Thurgood Marshall is a great example of a lost legal talent and courageous leader who did the right thing by all Americans by winning this case. Read this book now, if only so you'll recognize the heroes in their obituaries.

What Richard Kluger has done in this account is spell out the development first of segregation, telling us just who and how the dreaded Jim Crow laws came about-including segregation laws in the North-and then walk us through how, piece by piece, legal decisions were strung together to put an end to legal segregation.

I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s and, if I thought about it at all, had the idea that the Brown decision had more or less come out of nowhere. Eventually, I began to catch on, and then I read this book. If you are similar-minded, this book will set you straight and point you to the many unsung heroes who have made us a fairer country, in line with the ideals that helped found this country. If you're a parent looking for good role models, forget sports and entertainment. Look to this book for examples of people who literally risked everything, and often paid dearly, to do the right thing. They didn't shrink from the challenge; they stepped forward, many many times. That so many others did not only reminds us of how fearful we are to force change or risk our own well being to tackle injustice. I wish I could rate it higher.

This is the one book where all the rumours, gossips,government
participation in hindering black movement into the mainstream for obvious reasons like votes was documented. Simple Justice is really two books in one.
On the one hand there is the exhaustive documentation of the race relation in this country. the evolution from sharecropping, the obstacles and outright bigotry of some white people even leaders and experts in concluding thru so-called Sponsored studies that the blackman was genetically inferior and the subsequent counter studies that goes contrary to genetics, in d issue of Gene vs. Enviroment
On the other hand the legal maneuvering resulting in d decision we now called the brown vs. boe. the role of some white brothers is acknowledged here. thanks to the supreme court later to be headed by chief Justice Jarren-for daring to do what was then the inconceivable.
the decision among other thing brought the power of government and the role of d supreme court as the pre-eminent decision maker to the fore.
I must mention here that the actors like martin luther king jnr, Thurgood Marshal later a supreme court judge ,naacp members and other black men and women who risk all they have to win this case.
**I recommend that this book should b fed if possible to all blackmen in high schools that they may know how much it took to get to where we are today. that education should be taking seriously by all black people.

I really enjoyed this book! I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a interesting, well written book that is not too complex, and easy to get through. Perfect summer reading.

Already a master of the short story, Elizabeth Inness-Brown now proves herself to be an exceptional novelist as well. BURNING MARGUERITE is one of those rare books that lives beyond its pages.

The novel begins simply: James finds his elderly "guardian" Marguerite dead in the morning snow. What follows, however, is anything but simple: we learn of the complex relationship between James Jack and his Tante Marguerite, of Marguerite's unconventional and tragic past, of what the future might hold for James. Every detail is related with vibrancy and relevance so the reader is constantly engaged in this touching novel of love and death. The world created here is as full and as real as one can find in 250 pages.

Inness-Brown has an astounding talent for narrative and language. She has a deceptively direct style; the words are ordinary but the images and emotions they convey are extraordinary. Her characters are so expertly drawn that they have a depth and humanity that few novelists achieve, let alone in their debuts.

I highly recommend this book. Although readers of literary fiction will be naturally drawn to this novel, readers of more commercial works should also find much to delight them. This accessible tale has a universality that should appeal to a wide range of readers.

This well-crafted story is the best book I've read so far this year. I savored each chapter-stretching out its 234 lyrical pages over many days. It cannot be called a "fast read." A gifted writer, Elizabeth Inness-Brown fills her paragraphs with stunning and flavorful detail as she tells the story of Marguerite, "Tante," and her adopted son, James Jack and their life on a remote, frozen island. It is both heartbreaking and liberating, and I highly recommend this book.

From the author of "I'm Living Your Dream Life," McKenna Publishing

Alex Rodrieguez takes readers on a grand slam through his life and his struggle to the top. He gives children the tools to keep striving for their goals telling them how important education is in their lives. The illustrations and color photographs went hand in hand with the story and although the layout is a bit abstract, I felt the book came together in one great package. I am a librarian at an elementary school in Oregon and bought the book for the ever growing fan club of Alex Rodriguez, however my family thoroughly enjoyed it too! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading sports biographies or those who like to read about those famous people who make a difference in the world of education.

Truly a book all can enjoy! It is touching, inspiring, and positive. Alex shows us that anything can be achieved, no matter what obstacles face you, if you work hard. I liked that he shared a true story of his childhood, not some candy-coated, "My life has always been great" thing. This is the kind of book that inspires children to do their best and motivates adults to keep working to reach their goals!

I enjoyed this book very much. It showed us another side of Alex we'd never really seen, the youger Alex, his struggles, his achievements and everything his mother did for him and his family. I like how Alex openly talked about their financial problems and his father, it lets you know that he's human too. He sounded very confident, yet humble enough to leave a good impression. A nice one to add to your collection, the pictures are nice too.

Artists working in a figurative, representational way, especially if they work with pastel and need some advice for portraits and figures (in my opinion, the other subjects done by the author are less convincing, artistically speaking) will probably find this book usefull, even though I would rather recommend "Painting beautiful skin tones with color & light in oil, pastel and watercolor" by chris Saper in this case. For the others, be aware that you may be disappointed and not find the treasure of universal "truths" within the book, as the title suggests. In fact, I don't think there are something like "eternal truths for every artist". Just compare the work of Arcimboldo, Vermeer, Miro, Mondrian and Klimt and then we are just talking about painting... Many of these "truths", for example about edges to name one, work for M. Brown's type of work, but may not always be applicable for example for abstract art. This kind of book would have gained a lot if the author had discussed the paintings of other artists, especially those from a different "school of thought". In this respect I would say the book's style is too dogmatic and lacks some sense of humility and nuance. Art has more to do with originality, emotion and the expression of one's personality than with craftsmanship, for example the quality of a drawing. Of course it is very useful when other artists are willing to tell you some tricks, as long as these "tricks" are recognised as such and are not given the status of "universal truths" applicable to every piece of art in every movement of art. I bought this book based on the reviews because I thought it would be motivational, but in fact it had quite the opposite effect, because my kind of work(ing) is just too different from the one described in the book. Still I gave this book a 3, because the book is nicely illustrated and presented, introduces concepts like value, composition, edges, etc.
So, if you are working in a figurative, realistic way with pastel, have acquired a certain ease (because the book doesn't always explain the "how-to" part of the things, for example, when merely presenting soft and hard edges, but not telling the different WAYS to create soft edges with your medium), if moreover you have had art classes or work shops (because at some points the book presupposes an academic background which autodidacts lack, without them therefore being "beginners" in their artistic expression!), but if you need strong directions to progress, this book may work well for you and actually disserve a 4. If your work is of a different kind from that of the author, and if you usually prefer to confront different points of view in order to define your own, you may remain disappointed by the content of the book (as compared to the promising title)and the unilaterality of the speech. One book that overcomes this risk of one artist overrating his way of expressing art as the only one being right is "design & composition secrets of professional artists" by "international artist", where 16 painters of different backgrounds and styles explain their way of working.
So, with a more appropriate title, with an index (to facilitate looking up specific items), with a less authoritative and clear-cut way of presenting things and with more "practical" tricks to put the concepts immediately into practice, and with a more "scientific" way of approaching a subject and constructing a book,the book would have got a 4 or 5.

Well, I'm only up to page 39, but I can tell that this is a gem of a book. Harley Brown is an award winning artist that works mainly in pastel--and is very opinionated in a wonderful way. Lewis Lehrman, and artist himself, is a seamless writer--bringing out the very best of Harley Brown's personal teaching style.

Though Harley Brown works mostly in pastel, the book doesn't dwell on specific pastel techniques, instead it addresses major issues of design, color, composition and lots of other wonderful "eternal truths"--Actually, I wouldn't call them eternal truths, just the "doink" I knew that, why don't I take that into consideration when I paint! I work in watercolor and find what I've been reading to be invaluable. The section on color alone is worth the purchase.

If you are just beginning, some of the content may not be of value, as beginners are just learning to be comfortable with their mediums. I wouldn't get this book if you're looking for specific art techniques. This isn't a painting 101 type book, its more a graduate level type course. Don't get me wrong, even beginners could learn from it, it has been designed so well. But if you are an intermediate painter, or even an advanced painter, looking to rethink your methods of creativity and trying to push yourself to the next level of creativity--this really is the book for you.

The writing style is refreshing, with two different colors of text, the black being the formal, complete sentence descriptions, the red is the humorous and short--but meaningful re-interpretation. Then there are little tiny footnotes at the bottom with very personal asides and running up the sides of the page, in the margin, inspirational quotes. Its pretty neat, definately something to read over and over again, and in short, about the best "art how to book" I've read. Its almost like being in the same classroom with the authors.

I feel badly that the "reviewer from New York," found this book slightly disappointing. Perhaps he doesn't know what to look for because the wealth of information in this book is beyond most others. If we look hard enough we could find fault with virtually everything. I like to see the positives in life. I'm sure Harley Brown doesn't worry about the nitpickers of the world, but I want to have a go at this one.

A. He's disappointed that Harley Brown is "heavily slanting his own work towards classical." Does the reviewer not think that it's Mr. Brown's right to paint and think as he pleases? The title does say Harley Brown's Eternal Truths and not Sam Black's.

B. He complains that watercolors and acrylics are not mentioned in the book. Once again, he missed the title of the book. It's TRUTHS, not techniques in watercolor and acrylic or oil. There are plenty of those technical books around. I suggest he get them. TRUTHS apply to all mediums of art.

C. It would appear that there wouldn't be enough room to go about describing, "paints, mediums, glazing, scumbling, mizing colors, choosing a palette,etc" as the reviewer had hoped. As for me, I'm thrilled that Mr. Brown kept his comments to the elements of good art.

D.The reader warns us that Mr. Brown is "focused on realism in his paintings." That's pretty evident from the covers alone. Keep your focus, Mr. Brown.

E.We are also told by the reviewer that Mr. Brown doesn't think much of "abstract impressionists." I've never heard of them; maybe he means "abstract expressionists."

F. Another quote, "He, (Harley Brown), is also against working from your imagination since inevitably you'll get things wrong." If one really reads the words in the book, what Mr. Brown means is the problems of working from memory instead of going directly to the source. A world of difference. From this book, Mr. Brown urges artists to use more of their imagination.

G. This reviewer notes that Mr. Brown is "opinionated." Don't we buy books to get an opinion?

H. Personally, I was so taken by the book that I didn't notice, as the reviewer did, "a few editing mistakes."

I. I must compliment the reviewer for the many good things he did say about the book. After all he gave it four stars out of five.

J. Another person writes that Mr. Brown is her "favorite artist and author." It turns out that the vast majority of people agree with this lady. They were able to find the great wisdom and art flowing from this book's pages. I'm one of that bunch.